Brian Boitano skated to gold in the 1988 Winter Olympics, and has won four consecutive titles at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, as well as two world championship titles. Born on October 22, 1963 in Sunnyvale, CA, Boitano began skating at age 8. Constantly pushing the envelope in the sport, Boitano was the first to execute a triple axel at the U.S. championships and all six triple jumps in the world championships. After turning pro, Boitano toured and skated in television specials, including the 1990 production of "Carmen on Ice" for which he and costar Katerina Witt won an Emmy. He returned to the Olympics in 1994--a new rule enabled professional skaters to return to Olympic competition--where he finished sixth at the Games held in Lillehammer, Norway.

1988 Winter Olympics

The 1988 Winter Olympic Games were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Much of the American attention was focused on the ice. Brian Boitano won the gold medal in men's figure skating while Bonnie Blair, a speed skater, won the gold in the 500-meter race, the only two American gold medal winners of the 1988 Olympiad. Other sports at the Winter Olympics include, downhill and slalom skiing, ice hockey, bobsledding, and the luge.